Sons of Romulus
Authority Figures: Gruil Ranfrang Important Figures: Seal/Standard: Stylised wolf head within a black diamond History The Sons of Romulus is an assassin’s guild that exists within the framework of a religious cult. The origins of the cult itself is murky, as it goes back a few thousand years. Before the Hedgelands came together as a coherent and organized homogeneous nation under the influence of the Earthmother, many different gods and goddesses were worshipped by Hedgelanders. Romulus the Great Wolf, a savage and brutal god, had a strong center of worship in the southwest and south-central regions, near Witchhedge, Silverhedge, Lakehedge, and Bluehedge. When the priests and priestesses of the Earthmother came from the Forest of Cratsfar with their new faith starting around UC –300, the followers of Romulus were the first faith that they came into conflict with. Worship of the Great Wolf was stamped out- non-violently through peaceful conversion and violently when necessary in the ensuing decades, with the Church of the Earthmother wiping out all traces of the faith. Unlike most of the other faiths in the Hedgeland region, the Church of the Earthmother did not even syncretize the faith, casting it aside to be forgotten for to the sands of time. The Church never fully succeeded, as the cult of Romulus the Great Wolf survived, existing on the periphery of existence and oblivion. Practitioners would secretly venerate their god, knowing that to be found doing so would incur harsh penalties. As a result, the church- which was never very centralized to begin with- became so decentralized and fragmented that fellow worshippers often did not even know that both venerated the same forbidden god. Worship was only revealed to family and close associations- groups where bringing the worship of a forbidden deity into public would be very, very minimal. The foundations for what would become the Sons of Romulus were laid in UC 844. A year before he set in motion the string pulling that would prompt the Merchant Wars, King Derren the Schemer, King of Altathair, began funding a separatist movement within the Hedgelands to avenge the humiliation of his father, King Lanspoor, caused by the independence of Temoura. By his logic, the concessions made with the Hedgelands during the Hedge War prompted Temoura to declare its independence, a major humiliation that his father never recovered from, dying a two years after it happened. He wanted revenge. On the advice of his council, they would fund a terror organization to spread terror across the Hedgelands. Through underworld channels, Caldon Clement was contacted. Clement, a secret cultist, was glad to do what his Altathairian patrons asked of him. He went about recruiting those who he knew venerated the Great Wolf, in addition to those who he knew were sympathetic to his views, and the idea that the leadership of the Hedgelands needed to change. The organization has existed ever since. Today, the Sons of Romulus are headed by Gruil Ranfrang, a woodcutter from Bluehedge, and an assassin by night. Like his predecessors, Ranfrang has opted to keep the Sons in the shadows of Hedgelander society, but he has been under more and more pressure as of late by the organization’s secret Altathairian patrons to strike at the heart of the Hedge Charter, assassinating important individuals and unravelling the pact. Operations have increased as the pressure has increased, but Ranfrang is still weighing his options and is hesitant to engage in such a direct and important operation just yet. Attitude The Sons of Romulus are a right wing terror organization. Their attitudes are typical of rural, conservative societies- they have a healthy suspicion of outsiders, seek to return their homeland to its more pure “roots”, and are against what they see as the meddling of outsiders in their own affairs- and, to many Sons, ‘outsiders’ include the other members of the Hedge Charter. Most are insular and seek to be left to their own devices, free of interference from community leaders- especially leaders who are not from their own communities. The veneration of Romulus is symbolic for many members, while it is genuine for others. Organization The Sons of Romulus are very decentralized. Cells and members often do not know of the existence of other cells and members, despite possibly even knowing the individuals the other cells are composed of. Only the upper echelons of the organization know the identities of fellow members, but even in these cases, that information is often severely limited. The leader of the Sons, Gruil Ranfrang, contacts other cell leaders when he needs to directly influence what individual cells do, but other than that, leadership is very hands off, with individual cell leaders deciding how often to carry out operations, what each operation entails, and so on. Regions of Influence The Sons of Romulus recruit and operate only in the Hedgelands. As such, their only area of influence is the Hedgelands. They are known in areas immediately outside of the Hedgelands- if only marginally- by scholars, politicians, and others who track and follow these things. This is especially true in Altathair, where their one or two primary financial backers live and have influence. Leadership The current leader of the Sons of Romulus is a woodcutter from Bluehedge by the name of Gruil Ranfrang. He assumed the position when his processor was captured by Hedgeland forces in Falconhedge after returning from a meeting in Altathair with the group’s financial backers. The decentralized structure of the Sons of Romulus places less of an importance on Ranfrang, and more on individual cell leaders across the Hedgelands. Though the leader of the group ultimately makes the important decisions, it is the many cell leaders that makes those decisions reality through whatever means they see fit. Recruiting Because it is a secret society, the Sons of Romulus are very picky and very careful about who they allow into their ranks. Membership is generally “passed down” from father to son, simply because parents can more easily mold the political beliefs of children, and because they are safer to trust than acquaintances, because of the familial connection. Women are not allowed to formally join the organization, though doubtless wives, sisters, and daughters know of the Sons because of the membership of their significant other and support it. The group perpetuates the patriarchal attitudes that are prevalent in most rural, conservative societies- the fact that the church of the Earthmother is primarily tended to by women cannot be a coincidence, either. Allies The Sons of Romulus have very few allies. Their primary patrons are a select group of nobles in Altathair, which involves the kingdom’s crown. Outside of these outsiders who are using the group to push their own agenda- the status quo in the Hedgelands changing is mutually beneficial to both parties- the Sons of Romulus have no others they can depend on, outside of themselves. Higher-ranking members often have contacts in other places- Castle Blaze and Parlera, primarily, that they regularly use to procure equipment, or news, or other things, but these individuals are generally not seen as allies and are only as trustworthy and useful as coin can buy. Enemies Because of their involvement in terrorism and assassination, the Sons of Romulus cannot openly operate in the Hedgelands, and members are subject to arrest if their identities are revealed. Asides for having problems the government of the Hedgelands, the Sons of Romulus are at odds with the church of the Earthmother. Joining the Sons of Romulus Before an individual can join the Sons of Romulus, an existing member must petition his cell leader. Depending on the candidate to join the group, this starts an observation process that can last anywhere from a few days to a few months. The potential candidate is not made aware of the petition on behalf of another Son, and is secretly watched, to better assess his worthiness of joining the group. Once the cell leader is satisfied that the proposed recruit would be an upstanding member of the group, the proposed recruit is contacted. If he does not express interest in joining, something is done to ensure that he never speaks up about the group- this ranges from threats to murder, depending on the individual and the circumstances of the rejection. If the prospective recruit expresses interest in joining, the membership process begins in earnest. For a period of time that ranges from cell to cell, the prospect is mentored by existing members of the group. He is tutored in the physical skills that are employed by the organization, as well as in the religious aspects of it. When the prospect has been deemed worthy of becoming a full member of the Sons of Romulus, the cell leader has him participate in his final trial on the night of the next full moon. Armed only with a dagger, the prospect is sent into the woods to kill a wolf. He is not supposed to return until he slays the creature and returns with its pelt. Upon completion of the trial, the prospect is deemed a full member of the Sons of Romulus. Costs and Benefits of Membership Among conservative Hedgelanders who seek to change their society, membership in the Sons of Romulus is a cherished thing. It gives them access to resources to make their ideals a reality, ranging from like-minded individuals to the existing political structure to actually do things that get noticed. Being a member comes with costs, however. Like any underworld organization, members know that the price of betrayal, failure, and other shortcomings are harsh. Hedgeland authorities are often just as harsh, given the damage that the Sons have cost them in the past. Perhaps most harsh is the Church of the Earthmother, who recognize the Sons of Romulus as not only a threat to all that was accomplished by the church in the Hedgelands, but a threat to their religious ideology. Appearance Like other guerilla organizations, members of the Sons of Romulus can look like anyone. During operations, however, they are all required to don the wolf pelts that were claimed upon membership of the group (or replacements if necessary, acquired through similar means). The group puts a focus on speed and agility, and utilizes swarm tactics, so individuals carry little when carrying out operations.